1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention are related generally to a system including an operating speed detection apparatus, an operating speed detection apparatus and method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In mobile electronic devices, lower power consumption and multi-functionality may be factors in a design process. Multi-functional mobile electronic devices may employ real-time processing (e.g., displaying video images, receiving broadcast signals, etc.), which may increase hardware requirements (e.g., memory capacity, processor speed, etc.) of the device. Semiconductor chips, which may be included in mobile electronic devices, may operate in accordance with higher-speed clock signals (e.g., for synchronous processing). Accordingly, a reliability of a semiconductor chip may be based at least in part on a reliability of internal clock signals within the semiconductor chip.
If semiconductor chip operating status information is provided indicating how circuits within a semiconductor chip may operate in response to a given clock signal, an operating speed (e.g., processor frequency) of the semiconductor chip may be increased and/or a power consumption of the semiconductor chip may be reduced by adjusting a frequency of the clock signal and/or an internal voltage via a voltage regulator.
By conventional methods, operations of semiconductor chips using a clock signal at a given frequency or speed may employ a table specifying a relationship (e.g., expressed as an equation) between a system response speed and an associated power consumption. In another example, actual data obtained through real-world tests and/or experiments may populate the table.
Semiconductor chips having equivalent functions in the same system may operate at different speeds and/or frequencies, for example due to variations in semiconductor manufacturing processes, differences in local operating temperatures, differences in operating voltages of the chips, and/or other structural and/or environmental factors.
Conventional semiconductor memory devices including a temperature sensor may control a supply power based on an operating temperature detected by a temperature sensor. However, the temperature sensor may increase both a manufacturing cost and a chip size of semiconductor memory devices.